Functional Properties of the Seventh Nutrient-Soy Dietary Fiber

Soybean dietary fiber is highly valued and is one of the few functional food bases. Modern medicine has proven that soybean dietary fiber can prevent adult diseases and has important physiological effects on the human body, which has attracted great attention from nutritionists around the world. The World Health Organization recommended soybean dietary fiber as the "population dietary nutrition target" at the Geneva Conference and listed it as the "seventh nutrient" after protein, eggs, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water.

Soybeans are rich in dietary fiber. Soybean dietary fiber has strong physiological and medical functions such as water retention, oil retention, volume increase, detoxification, induction of intestinal microorganisms, promotion of gastrointestinal motility, regulation of blood sugar and insulin levels. It can be used to prevent and treat constipation, lower blood lipids and prevent cancer. It also plays a very important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as arteriosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Therefore, soybean dietary fiber is also known as the "seventh nutrient" (the first six are protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water). Specifically, soybean dietary fiber has the following health functions:

1. Lower blood sugar. After entering the gastrointestinal tract, dietary fiber absorbs water and expands into a gel-like state, which increases the viscosity of food, delays the absorption of glucose in food, and increases satiety, reduces sugar intake, and prevents a sharp rise in blood sugar.

2. Reduce lipid. Cholesterol is a fat substance in the blood, which can increase the risk of coronary heart disease and calculi. Dietary fiber can reduce the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, promote the excretion of bile, reduce cholesterol content, and play a role in preventing the occurrence of coronary heart disease and calculi.

3. Lose weight. Dietary fiber delays and limits the absorption of some sugars and lipids in the stomach and intestines, increases satiety, helps the human body control diet, thereby reducing energy intake, so it helps to lose weight.

4. Help detoxify and nourish the skin. Dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis, shorten the residence time of many poisons in the intestine, and reduce the retention and absorption of poisons by the intestine; at the same time, dietary fiber can absorb water and swell, increase the volume of intestinal contents, thereby adsorbing and diluting poisons, reducing the impact of poisons on the intestines, and playing a detoxification and beauty effect.

5. Relax bowel. Since dietary fiber can absorb water and swell, the volume of intestinal contents increases, making the stool loose and soft, promoting the reproduction of beneficial aerobic bacteria in the intestine, reducing the production of putrefactive bacteria, and promoting intestinal peristalsis, shortening the time for intestinal contents to pass through the intestine, and can play a role in moistening the intestine and laxative.

6. Prevent cancer. Dietary fiber can shorten the residence time of carcinogens such as nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced by intestinal decomposition in the intestine, and reduce the absorption of poisons by the intestine. Dietary fiber can also combine with carcinogens, so it has a good preventive effect on colon cancer and colorectal cancer, and has no side effects.

7. Enhance disease resistance. Dietary fiber can increase the activity of phagocytes and enhance the body's immune function. Increasing the intake of dietary fiber is an important measure to avoid the "three highs" diet structure of high protein, high fat and high calories, and prevent obesity, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, tumors and other diseases.